The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations found the Town of Suffield retaliated against their fire lieutenant after he and the union filed a complaint against the town for not properly compensating him when he assumed fire chief responsibilities following the retirement of Suffield’s previous fire chief.

Suffield Fire Chief Charles Flynn retired in December of 2022 and with the fire captain position also vacant, newly elected Suffield First Selectman Colin Moll met with Lt. Brian Gauthier to have him assume the duties of fire chief in the interim, while also performing his regular lieutenant duties. Gauthier had previously filled in for Flynn when Flynn was on vacation.

However, when Moll refused to compensate Gauthier at captain’s pay for handling the responsibilities as chief, the union filed a grievance. Shortly thereafter, the Suffield Board of Selectmen voted to de-fund the position of fire lieutenant, arguing there were too many officers for only a small number of professional firefighters.

When the town hired a new fire chief in March of 2023, Gauthier found the position of lieutenant gone and he was demoted to the rank of firefighter, according to the labor board decision.

Although the union argued the town had unilaterally changed Gauthier’s job duties without increased compensation, the labor board sided with the town, which argued it was part of the lieutenant’s job responsibilities to fill in for the role of chief.

However, the board also found the elimination of Gauthier’s rank “more troubling,” and noted that Moll “submitted a proposal to defund Gauthier’s position to the Board of Selectmen 6 days after the Union filed this prohibited practice complaint.”

The town had argued that the Suffield Fire Commission debated removing the position prior to the wage issue being brought up, but the labor board was not persuaded, indicating that while a motion was made to defund the lieutenant position in February of 2023, the records don’t indicate if the Fire Commission officially voted on it. Instead, the commission voted to accept the budget “as is” which included defunding Gauthier’s position.

“We find the sequence of events, and their proximity in time, support a reasonable inference of retaliation,” the labor board wrote. “Nor do we believe that the Town would have defunded the position of lieutenant regardless of anti-union motivation.”

According to Suffield Board of Selectmen meeting recordings, the town was facing increased costs related to inflation and wage increases, including a 4 percent increase for the fire department. During the discussion, Moll said the fire department situation was “fluid,” and the Fire Commission believed that only the chief and captain positions were necessary, and defunding the lieutenant position was discussed briefly.

The Labor Board ordered that Gauthier be reinstated to his lieutenant position and made whole for lost wages, cease and desist from retaliating against Gauthier, post a copy of the decision in a place where firefighters “customarily assemble.”

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